Description
This Vegan Cranberry Meringue Pie features a crisp vegan pie crust filled with a smooth, tangy cranberry curd made from fresh cranberries, citrus zests, and juices, thickened with cornstarch and enriched with vegan butter. Topped with a light vegan Italian meringue, torched to golden perfection, this festive pie is perfect for holiday gatherings or any special occasion, offering vibrant flavor and stunning presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 batch vegan pie crust (*makes extra dough – see note 1)
Cranberry Filling
- 250 g granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 400 g fresh cranberries (*see note 2)
- 270 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 80 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- 2 star anise (optional)
- 80 ml non-dairy milk
- 50 g cornstarch
- 100 g vegan butter
Topping
- 1 batch vegan Italian meringue
Instructions
- Prepare Ahead: Up to 2 days in advance, prepare the vegan pie crust dough and chill it until ready to use. Also, reduce the aquafaba for the meringue topping and refrigerate it until needed.
- Preheat and Prepare Pie Tin: At least 8 hours ahead or the day before serving, lightly grease a 9-inch pie tin with oil or vegan butter and dust with flour. Knock off excess flour so it is lightly coated. Optionally, add a parchment paper round at the base. Preheat oven to fan 190°C (374°F) or conventional 210°C (410°F) and preheat an aluminum tray or baking sheet inside.
- Roll and Line Pastry: Roll out the chilled dough to ⅛-inch thickness, making it an inch larger than the pie tin circumference. Carefully lift and ease it into the tin, trim edges with knife or scissors, and press edges with fork. Pierce base with fork holes.
- Blind Bake Crust: Cut a circle of parchment paper slightly larger than the tin, scrunch it up, and place on dough. Fill with pie weights or dried beans, rice, or lentils. Par-bake for 20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely.
- Make Cranberry Filling: In a saucepan, rub orange and lemon zest into the granulated sugar until the sugar feels moist. Add cranberries, orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until cranberries burst and soften.
- Prepare Cornstarch Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk non-dairy milk and cornstarch together and set aside.
- Blend and Strain Filling: Remove cinnamon stick and star anise from the cranberry mixture. Transfer to a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve back into the saucepan.
- Thicken Filling: Stir cornstarch mixture into the pureed cranberry sauce and cook for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in cold vegan butter. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Fill and Chill Pie: Pour the cranberry curd into the cooled pastry shell. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight until fully set.
- Prepare and Apply Meringue: Whip the vegan Italian meringue and spoon or pipe it onto the set pie surface.
- Finish with Torch: Use a blow torch to gently caramelize and brown the meringue topping just before serving for a stunning presentation and subtle flavor.
Notes
- Note 1: The vegan pie crust recipe makes extra dough which can be frozen or used for other pastries.
- Note 2: Fresh cranberries provide the best flavor and texture; frozen can be used but may alter consistency slightly.
- You can substitute pie weights with dried beans, rice, or lentils for blind baking.
- Using a high-quality blow torch ensures even caramelization of the meringue topping.
- Chilling the filled pie overnight allows the curd to set properly for clean slices.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes + 10-15 minutes simmering + 3-5 minutes thickening
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegan cranberry pie, vegan meringue pie, cranberry dessert, holiday pie, plant-based pie, vegan dessert, cranberry curd pie, vegan Italian meringue
